Rice Alexander Pierce

Rice Alexander Pierce
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 9th district
In office March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1885
Preceded by	Charles B. Simonton
Succeeded by	Presley T. Glass
In office March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1893
Preceded by	Presley T. Glass
Succeeded by	James C. McDearmon
In office March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1905
Preceded by	James C. McDearmon
Succeeded by	Finis J. Garrett
Personal details
Born	July 3, 1848 (1848-07-03) Dresden, Tennessee, United States
Died	July 12, 1936 (1936-07-13) (aged 88) Union City, Tennessee
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Mary Hunter Pierce
Profession	Attorney politician
Military service
Allegiance	Confederate States of America
Branch/service	Confederate States Army
Unit	Eighth Tennessee Cavalry
Battles/wars	American Civil War

Rice Alexander Pierce (July 3, 1848 – July 12, 1936) was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 9th congressional district of Tennessee.

Pierce was born on July 3, 1848, in Dresden, Tennessee, in Weakley County. He attended the common schools in Tennessee, and during the Civil War he served in the Confederate States Army with the Eighth Tennessee Cavalry. After the war, he attended school in London, Ontario, Canada and studied law in Halifax, North Carolina. He was admitted to the bar of the supreme court in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1868.^[1]

In 1869, Pierce commenced practice in Union City, Tennessee, in Obion County. He served as mayor in 1872. He was elected the district attorney general of the twelfth judicial circuit in 1874. He was re-elected in 1878 and served until 1883.

Elected as a Democrat to the Forty-eighth Congress, Pierce served from March 4, 1883, to March 3, 1885. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1884, but was elected to the Fifty-first and Fifty-second Congresses, and served from March 4, 1889, to March 3, 1893. Again unsuccessful in 1892 to the Fifty-third Congress, he was elected to the Fifty-fifth and to the three succeeding Congresses. He served from March 4, 1897, to March 3, 1905.^[2]

When Pierce was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election to the Fifty-ninth Congress in 1904, he resumed the practice of law in Union City, Tennessee. He was chairman of the state Democratic State campaign committee in 1929.

Pierce died in Union City, Tennessee, on July 12, 1936 (age 88 years, 9 days). He was interred in the City Cemetery.^[3]

• United States Congress. "Rice Alexander Pierce (id: P000337)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Rice Alexander Pierce at Find a Grave